Department for Transport

Ferries: Isles of Scilly

lord berkeley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the status and current value of the sinking fund for a new ferry to which to which the Isles of Scilly Steamship Company committed in return for a Government interest free loan toward the purchase of the Scillonian III.

baroness sugg: I am not aware of the existence of any formal extant sinking-fund for this purpose, nor of a current obligation to hold one, although the Isles of Scilly Steamship Company are indeed responsible for providing the vessels necessary for their operations. The IoSSC is due to be meeting Nusrat Ghani on 18 April to discuss. She is also meeting the Isles of Scilly Council next week to get their views on transport links to the Scillies.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Carbon Emissions

baroness jones of moulsecoomb: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will provide details of all contact they have had with local authorities since the Paris Agreement on climate change, with regard to seeking the assistance of those authorities in achieving the carbon reduction targets the UK has agreed as part of its Nationally Determined Contribution to the Global Target.

lord henley: Climate change is one of the most urgent and pressing challenges we face today, and the UK Government is committed to tackling it. The Clean Growth Strategy, published in October 2017, sets out the Government’s ambitious plans for decarbonising the economy through the 2020s. The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) continues to engage with Departments on implementing the strategy, including the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), which leads government’s relationship with local authorities. The joint BEIS and MHCLG office for Cities and Local Growth works closely with Ministers from both departments, as well as Local Enterprise Partnerships and local authorities. BEIS has launched a £7m Local Energy Programme which provides support to Local Enterprise Partnerships and local authorities to help them implement energy projects which reduce carbon emissions and benefit their communities.  BEIS have worked with colleagues in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, attending a cities event in Bristol to building relationships between UK cities and EU cities on sustainability. BEIS Ministers and officials have attended multiple stakeholder events in support of locally led action on the Clean Growth agenda. MHCLG have ongoing dialogue with Local Enterprise Partnerships and Local Authorities on support for low carbon projects via management of European Regional Development Funds.MHCLG are currently consulting on a draft revised National Planning Policy Framework which includes guidance on meeting the challenge of climate change.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Democratic Republic of Congo: Mining

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the answer by the Earl of Courtown on 6 March (HL Deb, col 992), what assessment they have made of reports that the President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo met with multinational mining companies to seek increased royalties; and whether any British companies took part in that meeting.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: President Kabila held a meeting with numerous mining firms on 7 March 2018 but we are unaware of any British companies taking part in the meeting.

Democratic Republic of Congo: Human Rights

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report of the UN Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, published in January, which found that state agents inthatcountrycarried out 1,176 extrajudicial killings in 2017,and that thatnumber has tripled over the past two years.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The British Government is deeply concerned about the increase of extrajudicial killings carried out by state agents in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Following the violent clampdown on protestors on 31 December and 21 January, the UK released statements condemning the violence and calling for the perpetrators to be brought to justice.The UK supported a resolution at the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) in June 2017 mandating an international investigation into the violence in the Kasai regions. We have repeatedly told the DRC government that this investigation must be allowed to operate unobstructed, to hold those responsible in the Kasais to account.We have also called upon the DRC government, as a HRC member, to demonstrate its commitment to the highest human rights standards and take decisive action against human rights abuses and violations.

Democratic Republic of Congo: Human Rights

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo regarding (1) the recent murder of Father Florent Mbulanthie Tulantshiedi, (2) the escalating suppression of critics of the government in that country, and (3) how members of the clergy and civil society leaders can be protected from such intimidation and brutality.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The British Government has repeatedly condemned the Congolese authorities’ use of violence against peaceful demonstrators. We released statements on 3 January and 23 January, following the deaths of protestors on 31 December 2017 and 21 January 2018. The statements called on the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) government to investigate and hold accountable security force members who fired on civilians or ordered the use of lethal force. We also released a statement before the 25 February 2018 protests, calling on the DRC government to open political space and allow peaceful demonstrations. We will continue to pressure the DRC government to allow peaceful assembly and worship.The peacekeeping mission in DRC (MONUSCO) has a mandate to protect civilians including in the context of elections. In the upcoming negotiations to renew MONUSCO’s mandates we will ensure that this provision is protected.

UN High-level Conference on Nuclear Disarmament

baroness miller of chilthorne domer: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions Karen Pierce, the UK Permanent Representative to the UN, has held with (1) the UN, (2) France, and(3) the US, with regard to the forthcoming UN High-Level Conference on Nuclear Disarmament.

baroness miller of chilthorne domer: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they plan to attend the 2018 UN High-Level Conference on Nuclear Disarmament.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The UK Mission to the UN in New York regularly discusses a broad range of foreign and security issues including nuclear disarmament with a broad range of partners including the UN, French and US Missions. As a responsible nuclear weapons state, the UK is committed to the long term goal of a world without nuclear weapons and we continue to work with our international partners to tackle proliferation and to make progress on nuclear disarmament. However, we do not believe the UN High Level Conference in May 2018 will lead to effective progress on nuclear disarmament. It will not address the serious threats to international peace and security posed by nuclear proliferation nor will it take account of the international security environment. We will consider our approach to the Conference closer to the time.

UN Non-proliferation of Nuclear Weapons Treaty Review Conference

baroness miller of chilthorne domer: To ask Her Majesty's Government what their priorities are for the 2020 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons to be held from 23 April to 4 May.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​We will use the second Preparatory Committee for the 2020 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference to engage with a wide range of states on how we can tackle the challenges that we face on non-proliferation and disarmament, and on how to enable access to the peaceful use of nuclear technology. We will continue to press for the entry into force of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, the start of negotiations on a Fissile Material Cut-Off Treaty in the Conference on Disarmament and increased transparency and trust between Nuclear Weapons States in order to develop the global conditions in which nuclear armed states feel confident enough to relinquish their weapons. We continue to urge all states that have not yet done so, to join the NPT as non-Nuclear Weapons States.

Department of Health and Social Care

NHS: Negligence

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government, in each of the past five years, what was the percentage of clinical negligence cases resolved after the issue of court proceedings (1) with damages paid, and (2)without damages paid; and in respect of each year, what were the legal costs paid inrelation tothose caseswhendamages were paid.

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government, in each of the past five years, whatwere the (1) number, and (2) percentage, of clinical negligence claims resolved witha payment of damages; and what were the legal costs paid (a) prior to the issue of court proceedings, and (b) following the issue of court proceedings, in each of those years.

lord o'shaughnessy: NHS Resolution handles clinical negligence claims on behalf of National Health Service organisations and independent sector providers of NHS care in England.NHS Resolution has provided the following information.The percentage of litigated clinical claims closed 2012/13 to 2016/17 with and without damages paid as at the end of each respective closure year is shown in the following table.Year of Closure% with Damages Paid% without Damages Paid2012/1374%26%2013/1475%25%2014/1575%25%2015/1676%24%2016/1776%24%  Legal costs paid on litigated clinical claims closed 2012/13 to 2016/17 where damages were paid as at the end of each respective closure year are shown in the following table.Year of ClosureDefence Costs PaidClaimant Costs Paid2012/13£39,958,409£142,111,6662013/14£42,141,514£166,670,0162014/15£41,410,527£179,193,1412015/16£45,500,109£213,136,2922016/17£62,811,970£280,120,077  The number and percentage of all clinical claims closed 2012/13 to 2016/17 in the cases where damages were paid as at the end of each respective closure year is shown in the following table.Year of ClosureWith Damages PaidNumber%2012/135,51060%2013/145,57955%2014/155,77654%2015/165,79554%2016/176,97557% The costs paid on clinical claims closed 2012/13 to 2016/17 in cases where damages were paid as at the end of each respective closure year are shown in the following table.Year of ClosurePre LitigatedLitigatedDefence Costs PaidClaimant Costs PaidDefence Costs PaidClaimant Costs Paid2012/13£9,562,764£63,510,321£39,958,409£142,111,6662013/14£9,408,578£67,365,330£42,141,514£166,670,0162014/15£9,061,139£70,358,696£41,410,527£179,193,1412015/16£8,697,218£65,710,680£45,500,109£213,136,2922016/17£11,670,238£74,449,903£62,811,970£280,120,077 Cases resolved following court proceedings include those where the issue of proceedings has been required in order to obtain court approval of the settlement, such as children or those who are under a legal disability such as a brain injury.The figures provided do not include claims brought against general practitioners, who are covered by separate indemnity arrangements through medical defence organisations and for which data is not centrally available.

Prescription Drugs: Safety

lord rennard: To ask Her Majesty's Government, following the publication ofPrevalence and economic burden of medication errors in the NHS in England,funded by the Department of Health Policy Research Programme, what estimate they have made of (1) the number of cases, and (2) the costs, of adverse drug events associated with (a) aspirin, (b) diuretics, (c) warfarin, and (d)non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, medication errors in primary and secondary care.

lord o'shaughnessy: The report did not make estimates on the numbers and costs of adverse drug events associated with specific drugs. The report found 36 studies which reported error rates in primary care, care homes and secondary care, and at the various stages of the medication pathway. The researchers used these studies to estimate error rates and burden. In their estimates however, the researchers used a study by Pirmohamed et al. Adverse drug reactions as cause of admission to hospital: prospective analysis of 18 820 patients which found that the drugs most commonly implicated in causing hospital admissions were low dose aspirin, diuretics, warfarin, and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. A copy of the study is attached.



Adverse drug reactions as cause of admission
(PDF Document, 96 KB)

NHS: Negligence

lord dobbs: To ask Her Majesty's Government how manymedical negligence court cases were settled by the NHS in each year between 2007 and 2017; and what was the total cost ofthose cases.

lord o'shaughnessy: NHS Resolution handles clinical negligence claims on behalf of National Health Service organisations and independent sector providers of NHS care in England.NHS Resolution has provided the following information.A table showing the number of clinical claims closed or settled as a Periodical Payment Order between 2007/08 and 2016/17 which have gone to trial as at 28 February 2018, is attached due to the size of the data.



HL6232 table
(Word Document, 22.56 KB)

NHS: Drugs

baroness finlay of llandaff: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answers byLord O'Shaughnessy on 8 March (HL5784 to HL5786), whether they propose to have fixed tariff prices for prescribed special medicinal products; and when they will table their proposals for consultation with stakeholders.

lord o'shaughnessy: Since 2011 for the most commonly prescribed special medicinal products (also known as “specials”) a reimbursement price is listed in the Drug Tariff (i.e. a “fixed Tariff price”). We have continued to expand the number of products for which there is a reimbursement price listed in the Drug Tariff, thus reducing the cost and the variation in what the National Health Service pays. As stated in my earlier response, the Government is considering how to implement its powers in the 2017 Act on the way it reimburses all special medicinal products. Any proposals will be subject to consultation with relevant stakeholders in due course.

NHS: Drugs

lord sharkey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to facilitate the adoption of off-patent, repurposed drugs into NHS clinical practice where these would benefit patients.

lord sharkey: To ask Her Majesty's Government whethertheyintend to review how they can incentivise manufacturers of generic medicines to ensure off-patent medicines can be repurposed and made available to patients.

lord o'shaughnessy: The Association of Medical Research Charities (AMRC) has led a group of stakeholders which has produced a framework to facilitate the adoption of off-patent repurposed drugs into National Health Service clinical practice where there is robust evidence to support it and where this would benefit patients. This, alongside some recommendations which will further support drug repurposing, was published in their report last year, Facilitating adoption of off-patent, repurposed medicines into NHS clinical practice. A copy is attached.The Department has supported this work and is playing its part in implementing the recommendations which fall within its area of responsibility. We have no plans to further review how generic manufacturers can be incentivised. The AMRC’s report includes two recommendations which relate to incentives for generic manufacturers which are for a range of other stakeholders to drive forward. However, we took an important step forward in incentivising medicines manufacturers to repurpose drugs in ensuring that the Accelerated Access Pathway announced last November is open to repurposed drugs.



Drug Repurposing Report
(PDF Document, 1.35 MB)

NHS: Drugs

lord sharkey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what processes they will adopt to ensure that eligible repurposed medicines are included in horizon scanning to identify products for the Accelerated Access Pathway, as highlighted in their response to the Accelerated Access Review.

lord o'shaughnessy: The Accelerated Access Collaborative (AAC) will begin product selection from April onwards. We were explicit in the response that repurposed medicines would be eligible for consideration of their suitability for the pathway. We anticipate that the AAC will publish further details on the process and criteria for the pathway ahead of the pathway opening in April 2018.

Department for International Development

Democratic Republic of Congo: Overseas Aid

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what amount of UK Overseas Development Aid was spent in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in each of the last ten years.

lord bates: The UK Government has provided £1.45 billion of bilateral Overseas Development Assistance to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) since 2007. This is not delivered through the government of the DRC and is based on humanitarian need and ongoing development projects. The table below shows this broken down by year:Year £m200760,3092008106,5882009144,3852010162,3792011238,3462012138,9442013161,6402014166,5942015142,7212016129,546Total1,452,052 Source: Statistics on International Development 2017 (see below)https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/659845/Table4Aa.ods



Table showing UK Bilateral ODA by country - Africa
(PDF Document, 269.55 KB)

Pakistan: Textbooks

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress they have made in work with the provincial governments in Pakistan to eliminate bias and discrimination against religious minorities from school textbooks; and what plansthey have for continuing those efforts.

lord bates: DFID’s education programmes in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab provinces continue to support provincial governments in the ongoing process to update and revise textbooks to improve quality and inclusion. Through the Ilm Two programme DFID is also supporting the production of additional reading materials that specifically focus on religious tolerance and inclusion. DFID has also engaged with Federal Government consultations on a new National Curriculum which will be trialled in Islamabad Capital Territory from April. The Federal Government has also agreed minimum standards for educational quality which agreed at the Inter Provincial Conference of Ministers. These standards set quality criteria for learners, curriculum, textbooks, teachers and assessment.

Middle East: Water

the marquess of lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have provided financial assistance to the Red Sea–Dead Sea Water Conveyance Project; if so, how much; and what is the current status of that project.

lord bates: The UK is not providing direct financial assistance to this project. However, the UK indirectly provides financial assistance to this project, for example through its capital share of the European Investment Bank, which may provide a loan to the project, and through its contribution to the EU budget, which is supporting the project through the Neighbourhood Investment Facility.

Democratic Republic of Congo: Humanitarian Aid

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government how they intend to respond to the United Nations’ briefing at Geneva this week which stated thatover two million children in the Democratic Republic of the Congo are at risk of starvation if they do not receive urgent humanitarian assistance.

lord bates: UK Bilateral aid over the next 5 years (2017-2022) will support 350,000 children under the age of five with vital nutrition and humanitarian assistance.In December last year, the former Minister for Africa, Rory Stewart announced additional support which includes a focus on critical lifesaving nutrition interventions. Our wider programming also addresses and contributes to tackling the causes of malnutrition. For example our water and sanitation programme provided over 2 million people with a source of clean drinking water between June 2013 and July 2017 and through our health programme we have reached over 760,000 people with home visits and supplements for pregnant women. We continue to review the needs and the capacity to respond to critical humanitarian needs in the DRC. We are actively lobbying for other member states to step up their support. The international donor conference on the 13th April will provide a further opportunity to raise awareness of the critical situation in the DRC and for the government of the DRC (GoDRC) to demonstrate that they will also work to address the causes and consequence of this humanitarian crisis.

Department for Education

Secondary Education

lord ouseley: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether there has been any reduction in the number of (1) teachers, and (2) teaching assistants, in the secondary school sector in England since 2015; if so, by how many; and what assessment they have made of the impact of any such reductions on children's future education.

lord agnew of oulton: Information on the number of teachers and support staff in secondary schools is provided in the School workforce in England statistical first release. This is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/school-workforce-in-england-november-2016.YearFull-time equivalent numbers in state funded secondary schools, November each yearTeachersTeaching assistant20001194,30012,50020112215,20052,80020152210,90052,30020162208,20050,100 1. Source - Form 618g. Figures are as at January 2000.2. Source - Figures are taken from the School Workforce Census and are as at November. In June 2018 the data for November 2017 is expected to be published. The department makes an annual assessment of the need for new teachers through the Teacher Supply Model. The model makes use of the latest available data on the school workforce, projected growth in pupil numbers and policy changes.

Free School Meals

lord bassam of brighton: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Agnew of Oulton on 7 March (HL5702), what is their estimate of the annual saving to HM Treasury from the changes to eligibility criteria for free school meals set out in theFree School Lunches and Milk, and School and Early Years Finance (Amendments Relating to Universal Credit) (England) Regulations 2018 (SI 2018/148).

lord agnew of oulton: The new criteria for free school meals (FSM) will not result in savings. The department estimates that by 2022, around 50,000 more children will benefit from FSM compared to the previous benefits system, and this figure does not include children who will have their eligibility protected. Any child entitled for FSM today where his or her parent(s) are in receipt of Universal Credit (UC) would remain eligible for FSM until the end of UC rollout, and after this point (if they are still in school) until the end of their phase of education.

First4Adoption

lord stevenson of balmacara: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to continue the funding and support they give to First4Adoption, the national information service for people interested in adopting a child in England.

lord agnew of oulton: First4Adoption has operated under the Department for Education’s National Gateway for Adoption contract since its launch in 2012. The contract ends on 31 March 2018. The department intends to ensure that materials developed under the contract remain free to access so that prospective adopters can still benefit from this information.The government continues to invest in adoption through the development of Regional Adoption Agencies, as well as announcing 16 new Practice Improvement Fund projects last year. The government also supports the Adoption Support Fund, which has provided more than £66 million to support thousands of families since launching in May 2015.

Apprentices: Taxation

lord watson of invergowrie: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of trends in apprenticeship starts since the introduction of the apprenticeship levy in April 2017.

lord agnew of oulton: There have been over 1.2 million apprenticeship starts since May 2015 and we want to achieve three million apprenticeship starts in England by 2020. We have published progress on numbers of apprenticeships starts within the department’s further education and skills statistical first release. The first quarterly release for the 2017/18 academic year is attached. The previous year has seen significant changes for employers. We continue to work with employers to adjust and refine the levy. Employers have two years to spend their levy funds, and feedback shows that they are taking their time to plan high quality apprenticeship training that meets their specific needs. Our reforms put quality at the heart of the apprenticeship programme and increase investment and engagement in training employers’ workforces for the future.



Apprenticeship Levy and Statistics Feb 2018
(PDF Document, 411.86 KB)

Foster Care

lord watson of invergowrie: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to increase the provision of foster placements.

lord agnew of oulton: An independent review of fostering, commissioned by the department, and published in January 2018, made a number of recommendations on how to improve provision of foster parents. The Education Select Committee, in their report published in December last year, also made recommendations. Both reports are attached.The government is carefully considering the recommendations of these reports, and will publish responses to both in the spring.



Foster Care in England Review
(PDF Document, 1.65 MB)




House of Commons Fostering Report
(PDF Document, 832.57 KB)

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Right to Manage Companies

baroness gardner of parkes: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth on 20 February (HL5532), what input the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has had into their Call for Evidence on Protecting consumers in the letting and managing agent market; and whether the MoJ is conducting a review of the operation of the Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Act 2002, in particular the possibility of giving a Right to Manage Board the power of forfeiture, when all other legal efforts to recover the monies owing have failed.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: The call for evidence on 'Protecting consumers in the letting and managing agent market' closed on 29 November and the responses are currently being analysed. An announcement will be made in due course. Any considerations regarding the Commonhold and Leasehold reform Act 2002 will be dependent on the outcome of the forthcoming announcement.

Help to Buy Scheme

lord kennedy of southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many homes have been bought with the support of the Help to Buy scheme since April 2013.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: Help to Buy: Equity Loan has helped 144,826 households buy a new-build home from its launch in April 2013 until September 2017.

Local Government: Devolution

lord kennedy of southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they haveplans to devolve further powers to metro mayors and combined authorities; and ifso, what is the process.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: The Government is clear that devolution should be an on-going process, not a one-off opportunity. In addition to commitments involving the immediate transfer of budgets and functions, deals negotiated to date include a wide range of commitments to further joint working between local partners and Government, including the development of business cases and Memoranda of Understanding on particular themes. Mayors and combined authorities are fully expected to seek to build on these opportunities, as well as to come forward with additional ideas where they have the capacity and vision to drive further growth and reform in their areas.Accordingly, the Government is working with areas where devolution agreements have already been reached to understand any additional proposals for further devolution. For example, at the Autumn Budget 2017, the Chancellor announced packages for further devolution to the West Midlands and Greater Manchester mayoral combined authorities. The Chancellor also announced the Government’s intention to explore the scope for further devolution with the Tees Valley and Liverpool City Region mayoral combined authorities, and discussions are in progress.

Ministry of Defence

Nuclear Weapons

lord judd: To ask Her Majesty's Government what distinction, if any, they draw between deterrence and preparedness to fight a nuclear war in (1) determining the UK’s nuclear weapons capability, and (2) assessing the nuclear weapons capability of other states; and whether the UK nuclear weapons strategy is based on deterrence or on preparedness to fight a nuclear war.

earl howe: Nuclear war means deterrence has failed. The primary role of the Armed Forces is to deter: our nuclear deterrent sits at the apex of UK deterrence strategy, delivered through Continuous at Sea Deterrence which provides an invulnerable second-strike capability. We will continue to keep our nuclear posture under constant review in light of the international security environment and the actions of potential adversaries.

Submarines: Repairs and Maintenance

lord west of spithead: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether parts have been cannibalised from submarines in build to ensure those in service are operational; if so, whether any such instances have delayed build; and what are the costs of any such delays.

earl howe: The redistribution of parts in the Astute programme occurs only when there is absolutely no alternative to meet the urgent needs of our in-service submarines. Delays caused by the removal of parts from in-build submarines have been reduced where possible. Based on information provided by the Ministry of Defence, the National Audit Office reported that the removal of parts from in-build submarines led to an estimated £40 million cost increase across the programme.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Slaughterhouses

baroness byford: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to address the loss of small and medium-sized local abattoirs.

lord gardiner of kimble: The government appreciates the role that small and medium sized abattoirs play in meeting the needs of producers in more remote areas and we are aware that in the15 years between 2002 and 2017 the numbers of small and medium abattoirs in England and Wales fell from 438 to 242. This is a result of consolidation in the retail sector and a drive for greater efficiency and higher meat hygiene standards in abattoirs. The combination of these factors has led to the dominance of larger slaughterhouses, which account for the majority of livestock slaughter. An adequate network of slaughterhouses nationwide is important in supporting livestock production in Britain. However this is a commercial consideration outside of the government’s control.

Agriculture: Subsidies

baroness byford: To ask Her Majesty's Government, in respect of the five per cent of farmers and landowners who are still awaiting their payments for 2017 under the Basic Payments Scheme, how many own farm land of (1) under 250 acres, (2) 250 to 500 acres,(3) 500 to 1000 acres, and (4) over 1000 acres.

lord gardiner of kimble: The Rural Payments Agency received over 86,000 applications for the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) 2017. The window for making payments runs from December to June each scheme year. As of 13 March 2018, there were 3,678 claims still being processed for payment, as shown in the table below.  Number of 2017 BPS claims awaiting paymentEligible acreage claimed*1,955Under 250 acres632250 to 500 acres523500 to 1,000 acres568Over 1,000 acres  For those who remain unpaid at the end of March, bridging payments for 75% of the calculated value will be made to support farmers until their claim is processed for payment. *Ownership of land is not a requirement for claiming under the BPS. Land farmed under a tenancy, lease or shared basis can be included in a claim. The figures given are based on size of claim, which may include land not owned by the claimant.

Food: Marketing

baroness jones of whitchurch: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the annual budget of the GREAT Britain Campaign; andwhat proportion is specifically aimed at marketing British food abroad.

lord gardiner of kimble: The Food is GREAT campaign is part of the cross-government GREAT Britain campaign. Food is GREAT supports the delivery of the UK Food and Drink International Action Plan by increasing public perception and demand of UK food and drink around the world. The Food is GREAT campaign is funded from the central GREAT Britain campaign and Defra. The campaign team also work with industry to gain value in kind support for the campaign. The first year of the campaign (April 2017 to March 2018) had a total budget of £1.25 million.

Food: Marketing

baroness jones of whitchurch: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many staff are employed within the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on the campaign to market British food abroad.

lord gardiner of kimble: Five full-time members of the Defra communications team currently work on the Food is GREAT campaign. The campaign team work closely with Defra Policy, Department for International Trade, VisitBritain, Foreign & Commonwealth Office and the central GREAT team to deliver the campaign. In addition to the food is great campaign team, there are 24 people working at Defra on food and drink exports and market access. Department for International Trade also has teams focusing on food and drink export and inward investment activity. This includes officials working on trade policy, trade promotion, foreign direct investment and marketing the UK to a global audience.

Food: Certification Quality Marks

baroness jones of whitchurch: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with National Parks UK to develop a quality mark for food grown and produced within its borders.

lord gardiner of kimble: The Government holds regular discussions with representatives from England’s National Parks on a range of issues. The Government has not held substantive discussions on developing a quality mark for food grown and produced within National Parks’ borders.

Department for Exiting the European Union

UK Trade with EU

lord livermore: To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the impact on GDP of a free trade agreement with the EU compared to membership of the Single Market in each year between 2019 and 2033.

lord callanan: As the Prime Minister has made clear, we are seeking the broadest and deepest possible partnership with the EU – covering more sectors and co-operating more fully than any Free Trade Agreement anywhere in the world today. The Government is undertaking a wide range of ongoing analysis in support of our EU exit negotiations and preparations. This work is ongoing, and Ministers have a specific responsibility, which Parliament has endorsed, not to release information that could reveal our negotiating position. The analysis recently published by the Commons Exiting the EU Committee does not represent Government policy. It is an information gathering exercise, there to test ideas. It is analysis of existing trade relationships - none of which is the outcome we are working towards.

Brexit

lord kinnock: To ask Her Majesty's Government what conditions, other than customary requirements of commercial confidentiality, are being attached to meetings between industry representatives and Her Majesty's Government about the UK's departure from the EU, before such meetings take place.

lord callanan: We continue to engage regularly with companies and industry representatives across the economy, to discuss their priorities, inform our negotiating position and prepare for our departure from the EU. Where used, Non-Disclosure Agreements are crucial to an open exchange of information and opinion on options and scenarios. They are standard practice for the Government, and ensure that all planning, negotiations and decisions are based on what is achievable and most appropriate for the UK.